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Report: Washington is best state for building Boeing’s new mid-market aircraft

June 6, 2018

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When it comes to attracting the manufacture of Boeing’s next big airliner — and the jobs that come with it — Washington is pulling no punches: It asked a leading aerospace consultant to conduct the most comprehensive state-by-state aerospace competitiveness study ever done.

The results of that research, unveiled Wednesday morning in Seattle, shows Washington far ahead of other states as the most competitive place for large aerospace manufacturing operations. According to the report, Washington would offer the lowest risk and highest return for Boeing should the company choose to build its proposed new mid-market airplane, the NMA, here.

Washington scored high in nearly all the study’s evaluation categories and many of its 41 individual metrics. Gov. Jay Inslee’s Choose Washington NMA Council commissioned the Teal Group, one of the world’s leading aerospace industry analysis firms, to conduct the objective review with research group Olympic Analytics. They reviewed aerospace manufacturing in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Washington’s aerospace industry, according to the study, produces more revenue, exports and profits than any other state in the nation. Washington has the largest number of aerospace workers, the highest density of aerospace engineers, second-highest density of aerospace production workers and fourth-lowest unit labor costs.

“Washington has an aerospace supercluster like no other in the country,” Inslee said. “The Teal report shows that by any measure, Washington is leading the way by offering the most competitive environment and workforce for companies seeking to build world-class planes.”